High efficiency transformation of plants is important in analyzing the usefulness of a variety of genes. Further high efficiency transformation of monocots and dicots is also important because large numbers of transgenic plants are needed to study the effect of a particular gene within a given period of time. The ability to directly transform agronomically important plant species at a usable frequency and across a wide range of genetic diversity is important for the development of commercial hybrid products with improved traits including, but not limited to, insect resistance, disease resistance, herbicide resistance, increased yield, increased tolerance to environmental stresses (such as drought, heat, etc.), enhanced seed quality (such as increased or modified starch, oil and/or protein content), and the like.
Genetic improvement of various crop species by genetic engineering has sometimes been hindered because techniques for in vitro culture, transformation, and regeneration of model cultivars are less effective with commercial cultivars. It would be of great benefit to improve the ability to genetically engineer monocots such as maize and sorghum and dicots such as soybean to increase nutritional value, increase resistance to pests, diseases and environmental stress, and to enhance alternative uses.
There is a need, therefore, for efficient methods for transformation and regeneration that can be used with corn as well as a wide variety of monocots and dicots.